The present invention relates to a control device for a device which can be connected in a network, e.g. heating device, in particular for a water or air heating device, operated with liquid fuel, of a motor vehicle, in the form of a supplementary heater or an auxiliary heater.
In modern motor vehicles, the control device of a device built into the vehicle, e.g., heating device, telecommunication device, audio device, or air conditioning device, is connected into the vehicle electronics, i.e., the respective device is xe2x80x9cnetworkedxe2x80x9d. For this purpose, the control device is connected to a vehicle data network, which for example has a data bus, in particular a CAN (Controller Area Network) bus. In this manner, the control device, and therewith the respective device, can be actuated by means of a service unit in the vehicle. It is likewise possible to monitor the correct functioning of the device by means of the vehicle data network. It can furthermore be provided to connect a diagnostic device to the vehicle data network, within the scope of servicing or inspection, in order to diagnose the functioning of the device connected thereto, particularly also that of a heating device.
In the present application, a distinction is made between a xe2x80x9cclientxe2x80x9d and a xe2x80x9cmakerxe2x80x9d. As xe2x80x9cclientxe2x80x9d is understood here to be a user of the respective device, who builds the respective device into a complex system, e.g. a vehicle, and networks it therein. A client is usually a vehicle producer who builds the respective device into his vehicles. By xe2x80x9cmakerxe2x80x9d is understood here the producer of the respective device, e.g., the heating device, who delivers his device to different clients.
The devices, e.g., heating devices, are usually specially produced by the maker according to the client""s wishes, or are adapted to the client""s wishes. In order to be able to link the device or its control device into a client-specific data network, a control device of the kind mentioned at the beginning has a client-specific data interface, which is especially adapted to the client-specific data network. For example, the client-specific data network demands a certain hardware, particularly a plug connection with predetermined number and arrangement of individual pin connections. Furthermore, respectively predetermined voltages or potentials are to be observed for the individual pin connections here in order to make linking to the client-specific data network possible. Moreover, the client-specific data network also prescribes the respective software, e.g. a given data format, so that communication over the data network can take place with the control device.
This data interface present at the control device is usually used by the maker of the respective device or of the associated service unit in order to program the control device. Likewise, testing and diagnosis of the control device, or of the associated device, can be carried out over this data interface. So that the device maker can use the client-specific data interface, the maker""s whole periphery which is required for programming, testing and diagnosis has to be respectively matched to the client-specific data interface. Since the data networks of different clients fundamentally differ from each other, and also differently configured data networks are possible for individual clients, there arise a great number of different data interfaces which are not compatible, to which the device maker has to permanently match his peripheral devices. The expense required for this is enormous.
The present invention has as its object to provide, for a control device of the kind mentioned at the beginning, an embodiment that reduces the maker""s cost for the programming and/or testing and/or diagnosis of the control devices or of the associated devices, for different client-specific data networks.
This object is attained according to the invention by a control device for a networkable device operated with liquid fuel, of a motor vehicle, comprising a supplementary heater or an auxiliary heater, comprising a client-specific data interface by means of which the control device can be connected to a client-specific data network in a motor vehicle. The control device comprises a maker-specific data interface comprising a bi-directional wireless connection, by which the control device can be connected to a maker-specific data processing device for at least one of programming, testing and diagnosis.
The invention is based on the general concept of carrying out the programming and/or testing and/or diagnosis of the control devices or of the associated devices by means of an additional, separate, maker-specific data interface which is arranged as a bidirectionally operating wireless connection. This maker-specific data interface can be configured by the maker according to his own requirements, independent of the respective clients, and thus independent of the data client-specific interface constituted at the control device. In particular, it is thus possible to arrange the maker-specific data interface identically for several control devices which respectively have other, client-specifically configured data interfaces. The maker can then communicate with a maker-specific data processing device, e.g. peripheral devices for programming and/or testing and/or diagnosis of the control device or of the associated device, by means of the same kind of maker-specific data interfaces with these different control devices; no, or only a relatively small, expense being required in order to adapt the maker-specific data processing device to the respective control device configuration. The maker-specific data interface can be standardized by the maker to this extent.
With the control device according to the invention, conflicts can be avoided which can arise when on the one hand a client-specific data network, and on the other hand a maker-specific data processing device, communicate with the control device by means of a common (client-specific) data interface.
The maker-specific data processing device, which can be connected to the control device by means of the maker-specific data interface, can be standardized by the maker. In particular the cost is reduced, or is dispensed with, which is required for adaptation to a client-specifically configured control device in the testing and programming software and hardware in development, in quality assurance, in manufacture and in customer service. As a rule, only very slight adaptations of the testing and programming software are required, for example in the EEPROM address region.
The additional, separate, maker-specific data interface according to the invention is constituted as a bidirectional wireless connection. A bidirectional wireless connection is for example known from DE 195 15 353 C2, and serves there for the production of a circuit connection between a service unit arranged in a vehicle interior and a control device arranged on a heating device, the heating device with its control device being arranged in the region of the vehicle floor. Furthermore a wireless remote operation of a heating device is known from the German Patent Application 100 06 395.0 of Feb. 12, 2000. However, a data interface, with which the control device can be connected to a client-specific data interface or to a maker-specific data processing device, basically differs from a circuit connection between the control device and an associated service unit, independently of whether this circuit connection is implemented by means of wires or without wires.
By means of the maker-specific interface constituted according to the invention as a bidirectional wireless connection, it is possible to program and to test the device or the associated control device with minimum cost, since no casing elements, or even the control device itself, have to be dismantled. Expensive, specially arranged adapters, which the customer service personnel had to install for diagnosis, can be likewise dispensed with.
While with a conventionally constituted data interface a corresponding plug or connector had to be accessible on the respective device in the respective mounting situation, this is dispensed with when using the data interface arranged as a bidirectional wireless connection according to the invention.
In an embodiment, data specific to the equipment, e.g., device recognition, manufacturing state of the device, can be interrogated and/or input and/or changed by means of the maker-specific data interface. In particular, it is thus possible to check, e.g. for its serial number, a device which is already packed for dispatch. Furthermore, for example, a delivery card can be supplemented or replaced, the corresponding data being placed in the control device.
The data which can be transmitted over the maker-specific data interface for communication with the control device can appropriately have a maker-specific data format which differs from a client-specific data format, which is the format of the data which can be transmitted over the client-specific data interface for communication with the control device. It is possible in this manner to use on the maker""s side a uniform maker-specific data format, which makes possible a communication with the control device independently of the respective client-specific data format. In particular, uniform bidirectional data exchange routines, so-called xe2x80x9cdata protocolsxe2x80x9d can be used in order to simplify communication with different control devices.
Further important features and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the dependent claims, from the accompanying drawings, and from the associated description of the FIGS. using the drawings.
It will be understood that the features given hereinabove and still to be explained hereinafter can be used, not only in the respectively given combination, but also in other combinations or alone, without departing from the scope of the invention.